Marshmallows and Toothpicks
by FamousNoOne
Summary: Doesn't the title say a lot? I guess not. This is the story of the rises and falls of Arianna Taylor's Eighth Year at Hogwarts. What happens when she's paired with Draco Malfoy in a new class that deals with Uniting Houses? Draco/OC
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! I have returned with a new story! This is a Draco/OC that I started WAAAAY back in September of 2012, so forgive me if there are any inconsistencies! Anyway, read it and, if you want to, go ahead and tell me what you think! I love feedback of all kinds; it helps me grow as a writer!**

**Feel free to check out any of my other stories. :)**

Prologue

When I got my letter from Hogwarts, I was astonished. I'd known it was coming; Mum was a witch so I knew all about Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. But when I called Dad – he and Mum had split when I was five – he sounded pretty distant. Didn't really care for magic or anything related to it, that's why he wasn't around, but I'd hoped he'd be excited for me. I was let down.

Then, I got sorted into Gryffindor, the same house as Mum, and I'd written them both. Mum, ever the encouraging parent, replied with a congratulatory letter and a batch of her chocolaty chocolate chip cookies – four of which were stolen by the Weasley twins, two years older than me. Dad sent back a small note that read "That's good." I haven't written him much in the eight years that have passed.

That's right. I'm an eighth year Gryffindor. And let me just tell you, it's pretty confusing. All of us that were supposed to be seventh years last year came back to finish our last year since our first seventh year wasn't really educational. More like torture. After the war, McGonagall talked to Minister of Magic Shacklebolt and he agreed that we needed an actual seventh year. All of those who… made it… we're back for our last year, including Potter, Weasley, and Granger. It was nice to have them back. We'd all missed them during our supposed-to-be last year.

My best mates, Seamus, Dean, Neville and Ginny, keep things pretty interesting. We're a troublesome bunch. Seamus and Dean are always blowing things up, more on purpose now than back when we were first and second years.

Anyway, this is the story of the Super Stressful but So Sweet Eighth Year of Arianna Taylor.

Keep in mind this is Hogwarts we're talking about. It's gonna be wicked.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, guys! Like I said, this was the first thing I ever wrote. I honestly don't think anyone's reading this right now, but I'm curious... If you do read this, will you PLEASE leave me a review telling me who your favorite Harry Potter character is and why. I'm just trying to get a feel for what my readers want to see. This is the ONLY time I will ask for a review.**

**Enjoy! :)**

Chapter One

"Seamus Finnigan, give that BACK!" I heard Ginny yell. I turned from my game of Exploding Snap with Dean to watch the drama unfold. Ginny was chasing Seamus across the common room and he was holding something in his hand. He took a running jump onto the table by the stairs leading up to the boy's dormitories and gave a victory yell.

"Really, Shay? We've been back for three hours and you're already messing with the little Weasley?" asked Dean, laughing when the deck of cards exploded in my face. I groaned and gave Dean a sickle, his winnings for the game, then stood and walked over to Ginny, who was giving Seamus a look that reminded me eerily of her mother. I'd been to the Burrow quite a few times and seen the wrath of Molly Weasley; it wasn't pretty.

"What do you expect me to do, Dean? Leave her alone?" Seamus laughed, tossing the book - I could see it, now - back to Gin. She huffed angrily and ran up the stairs to the dorms, presumably to put the book safely in her trunk.

"Look what you did, Shay," I said. "You've gone and made Little Red angry. Hey, what was that anyway?" I asked as Ginny walked down the stairs, kicking Seamus in the bum on her way down.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his backside. She stuck her tongue out at him and made her way over to the couch in front of the fire. I followed her, sitting on the floor and resting my back against her legs so that she could play with my hair, a favorite pastime of Ginny's. I closed my eyes as she started; it felt nice.

"From what I read about a certain dark-haired wizard with a scar on his head," Seamus said in a low whisper, making sure no one heard him tease Ginny, "I'm betting it was her diary."

I could tell from Dean's snickers that Ginny had given Shay a rude gesture. Ginny and Harry had been dating during our sixth year, but with the war, they had to take a break. I'd been telling her all summer to talk to him, but she was scared that he was not emotionally ready. He's been... distant. Of course, all of us have been through a lot, but nothing compared to the Trio, and especially Potter.

"Leave her alone, Shay," I said.

"Aw, she knows I'm joking, don't you, lass?" I heard the smile in his voice.

"I hate you, Finnegan," she replied, but she was smiling, too. She gave me a wink, which I returned with a smile.

"Well, hate to cut this night short, but I want to wake up on time tomorrow, so I think I'm going to head up to sleep. Harry and Ron just went up, so you know it's late," Dean said. I opened my eyes to see him standing. "You coming, Seamus?"

"May as well," the Irish boy replied. "G'night, Red. G'night, Ari." He nudged my leg with the toe of his shoe and then he and Dean went up the stairs and to their dorms, leaving Ginny and me reveling in the quiet.

"So, Gin. Do you think this year will be the year you actually say something to Potter?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet.

"I don't know. I feel like he doesn't even notice that I'm here half the time. I mean, I've only fancied him since I was ten... I just don't know, Ari."

"I say go for it. You're not getting any younger, Red. And we'll be graduating this year," I said, only half-caring. I was beginning to fall asleep, and Ginny playing with my hair felt really good. She always claimed that she was jealous of my chocolate-brown hair, saying that she wished her own flaming red hair was as dark and smooth as mine, but in all honesty, I thought Ginny's hair was much prettier.

"I know, but I still don't think he's ready."

"You'll have to do it sooner or later, Gin. Just sit him down and put it out there. If he's not ready, tell him to think about it. If he is... Well, I expect we'll be seeing a lot less of you, yeah?" I turned and winked at her.

"Oh, shut it, Taylor."

xXx

I awoke to the sound of Ginny knocking on our door. McGonagall had magically extended Gryffindor Tower to make room for us Eighth Years, and we all had our own dorm.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed to see what Ginny wanted. She told me to hurry up or she and the boys were going to leave me and go to breakfast without me. I dressed quickly and brushed my hair and teeth, then ran down the stairs to see them walking out of the portrait hole.

"Oi!" I yelled. They turned at the sound of my voice. I hurried to the portrait hole and followed them out.

On the way down to the Great Hall, we debated which classes we would have, and with whom. We also knew that we had a few new teachers; Professor Michaels, a short, thin woman who would be teaching a new class called Uniting Houses, which was supposed to teach us that we're all the same, despite blood purity; Professor Turner, a balding man from America who would be taking over teaching Muggle Studies, a class that was now required; and Professor Ikeridge, who would be teaching us Defense Against the Dark Arts.

When we reached the Hall, there were a lot of students sitting at their house tables, and we all sat down next to the Trio and greeted them. Hermione said hello to all of us and handed us our schedules, which was her job as Head Girl. Harry nodded a hello to all of us except Ginny, who he took the time to greet properly.

"Hey, Ginny," he smiled. She smiled back and looked down at her schedule to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Looking down at my schedule, I noticed that my first class was Uniting Houses, followed by Muggle Studies then Defense Against the Dark Arts. Two new teachers to start off the year.

"Good lord," said Seamus. "Uniting Houses, Muggle Studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts? This morning is gonna be great." It seemed that we all had the same first three classes this morning, except for Ginny, who was starting the year with Herbology, Potions and Charms. Since seventh year is supposed to be based on the career you want, and Gin was thinking about professional Quidditch, McGonagall explained that she would take classes designed for Medi-witches, just in case she got injured and could help herself. Ginny thought it was a good idea.

We eighth years, however, had to begin every day with Uniting Houses, Muggle Studies and Defense, so that we could make sure we got those three required classes out of the way. The good thing was that Uniting Houses was the only once a week class, which means we only had a class right after breakfast on Mondays. Cool.

Making our way up to the Sixth floor, where Uniting Houses was located, the six of us - me, Seamus, Dean, Harry, Ron, and Hermione - discussed what we thought this class was going to be like. We assumed it would be extremely boring and not at all helpful, since she couldn't unite the houses if we all stuck to our little groups.

Boy, were we wrong.

When we stepped into the classroom, Professor Michaels had all of the tables in perfect rows, but each had a colored tag on it. Some students were already seated, and, as we were all Eighth years, I could tell that your seat corresponded with the colored tag, each representing a house. As I got closer, I saw they all had names. Assigned seats? Oh, boy.

When I found my seat, a seat in the back right of the classroom, closest to the door, I looked around the room. Seamus was next to Padma Patil, while Hermione was next to Susan Bones. Dean looked very angry next to Blaise Zabini and Ron looked pretty happy next to Ernie MacMillan. Poor Neville was next to Pansy Parkinson, and she was shooting him dirty looks. I'd have to talk to her.

I didn't get a chance to see who else was paired up because my partner arrived just then.

"Malfoy?" I said, incredulously. He looked down at me, and I was surprised to see that the usual "I'm-better-than-you" smirk wasn't glued to his face. He didn't say anything, just plopped down unceremoniously in his seat and stared forward.

I knew Malfoy had gone through a lot because of the war: his father was thrown in Azkaban and his mother became an empty shell. Their accounts had been frozen the entire summer so that they could only buy necessities. If he weren't such a complete arse, I would have felt sorry for him.

"Is there a reason that you're staring at me?" he said. It sounded as though he was trying to come off as his usual arrogant self but was too… tired.

"Just… wondering how the class will go, that's all. Wondering why this crazy bird paired us all up with people from different houses." That got me a small smile from Malfoy. My eyes widened. Did Draco Malfoy just smile at something I had said? Me, a measly half-blood?

This was gonna be one weird year.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Professor Michaels was, indeed, a crazy bird.

"Good morning, class," she said as she waltzed in to the classroom. Literally. She did a one-man waltz into the classroom, all the way up the centre aisle. She stopped once she got to the front. Seamus glanced back at me with a look that said _Seriously?_ on his face. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Welcome to Uniting Houses," she began. Her voice was very airy and could put me to sleep. "This year, we will be studying each of the Founders and how their lives relate to ours. This class is to ensure that we all understand that no matter what house we're in, we're all still people.

"In order to better understand each other, I think we should forget about what house we're in, at least for this class. We'll do everything together, as a group. There will be no foul language or insults to those of other Houses, and we will all act as though we were never sorted and there was never any strife. We will delve into the minds of our fellow students and try to understand why they think the way they do, and try to get a better understanding of one another. The people you are sitting next to will be your partners for the year, and you will know them just as well as you know yourself.

"So, that will be our objective for the year. Unite the Houses.. Any questions?" Professor Michaels stopped and, when no one raised their hand, clapped her tiny hands together and smiled. "Lovely! I think I should like to know a little about the people in this room. However, I want you to get to know your partners, also. So everyone get out some parchment."

Once everyone had quills and parchment, she began again. "Alright, here's what I want you all to do. Spend thirty minutes writing down everything you can about your partner; ask them any question you want, as long as it is school appropriate. I don't care about what color their knickers are. Understood? Begin." There was a brief moment when no one moved, but we soon realized the old bird wasn't kidding. Everyone began to question their partners.

I turned to Malfoy and asked the first question that came to my mind.

"What's your favorite colour?" Wow, Arianna. That was stupid.

Malfoy looked surprised, and I saw him trying not to smile. "Er, green," he replied, his voice shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Oh, stop laughing," I said, writing down his answer. "Let's see you come up with a better question." His eyebrow rose at my challenge.

"Alright. What's your best quality?" I frowned. That was a good question.

"Erm... Do you mean physical trait or personality?" I questioned.

"Both," he replied, holding his quill ready.

"Okay. Well, I suppose my best physical trait would be my hair; I get a lot of compliments on it. And personality... I try not to judge people before I get to know them." At that last, he looked up at me with an indescribable expression, a mix between confusion and... hope?

"So you're not judging me right now?" he asked. I blinked a couple of times, not sure how to answer this question. Malfoy was awful in our earlier years, but I really didn't know him...

"It's your turn. Same question, with the traits," I stalled. I wasn't sure why Malfoy would care what I thought.

He stared at me for a second, about to say something, but instead looked down at his paper. "Well, I suppose my eyes would be my best physical trait. And my personality... Hm. I'm not really sure. I'm not exactly a good person..." His voice trailed off. The frown on his face told me everything I needed to know.

"You feel bad," I said. His head snapped up.

"Excuse me?"

"You feel bad for what you've done. You can feel remorse. That's a damn good personality trait if I ever saw one," I said, hoping to make Malfoy feel a little better. He frowned at me then slowly nodded.

"Yeah, I guess." He exhaled sharply. "Well, erm... What is your favorite part of being at Hogwarts?" he asked.

I thought for a moment. "Knowing that I belong somewhere," I answered. Once again, Malfoy's eyes shot up to mine. He was right; his eyes were definitely incredible, and I felt like he was looking straight through to my soul.

"Why wouldn't you belong?" he whispered, so low I almost didn't hear him through all the chatter in the room.

"My dad doesn't exactly accept the fact that I'm a witch," I said, almost as quietly. "He acts like I don't exist." That's when I saw it. Malfoy knew exactly what I was talking about, having a father that didn't accept you. I frowned.

"Mal- Draco," I said. He flinched at my use of his name. I wondered why, briefly, then continued. "You belong here, too." Suddenly, it seemed as if I had said too much. His eyes were beginning to fill with water and his breaths became shallow. He suddenly looked down at his feet, trying to hide from me.

I sat, waiting for him to look back up at me. I didn't know what to say. Shay and Dean didn't cry in front of me, and this wasn't Ginny feeling sad about Potter. This was Draco bloody Malfoy. The Slytherin Prince... But who's to say he couldn't feel sadness, too?

After a few minutes he looked up at me.

I waited for him to say something.

He took a deep breath then stuck his hand out. "Hello, my name is Draco Abraxas Malfoy. I used to be a huge prick to everyone, but then I realized I didn't have to be my father. You are?" I felt tears come to my eyes, but I shook his hand anyway.

"Arianna Joanne Taylor. My father left me and my Mum when I was five because he didn't want to have magic in the house. Now I only speak to him on my birthday. If he remembers." Malfoy grimaced. I shrugged in return. "Not like I want to talk to him anyway. He isn't exactly the best dad in the world." Then I remembered who I was talking to. "Of course, you know what that's like." Malfoy chuckled.

"Yeah, our dads won't be up for the Father of the Year Award, I suppose," he said, looking down at his paper, suddenly remembering we had an assignment. We both took a couple minutes to scribble down some things. I wrote that Malfoy was a nice guy, despite what people thought. I also wrote that I was glad that I got partnered with someone who understands what I've been through.

"Hey, Malfoy?" I asked while he was still scribbling. I knew this one was going to get me in trouble.

"Yeah?" he replied. He seemed pretty focused on what he was writing.

"Why the change of heart?" He stopped writing. I held my breath, waiting for him to say something. I didn't want to write down this answer; this was just for my curiosity.

After what felt like a lifetime, he finally spoke. "I was tired of following a man who believed he was better than everyone else because of his blood status. I was tired of taking orders from someone who idolized a hypocrite who killed Muggles and Muggleborns because their blood wasn't 'pure', when he himself was a half-blood. I was sick of feeling like everything I did was wrong. Because it was. I knew from the moment that I stood across from Dumbledore on the Astronomy Tower. I knew that the upcoming war was wrong, because we're all the same, regardless of blood or money or house. We're all just people living in the world. Some were blessed with the power of magic and others weren't, but that didn't mean that they didn't have families, feelings, _lives_. We're all the same." Then he was quiet. For a long time. Eventually, he went back to scribbling, which confused me because I hadn't said anything. I figured we were finished, and I was right; he didn't speak to me again.

I spent the remaining time writing about Malfoy.

When Professor Michaels told us to pass our papers up, this is what I had written:

_ Arianna Taylor_

_ Uniting Houses_

_Draco Abraxas Malfoy_

_His favorite colour is green. Not surprising considering he comes from Slytherin. I know, we're not talking about Houses here, but I just think it's fitting._

_He thinks his eyes are his best physical feature. I like them, too. I feel like they could pierce my soul._

_He says that his ability to feel remorse is his best personality trait. Well, actually I said it, but he agreed, like he should. That he can feel bad about what he did shows that he's changed._

_I think it's more than that, though. Draco is much more than the spoiled brat people thought he was. Draco is a very caring person. He feels guilty for what he's done and he's realized that he was wrong. I think he wants to let everyone know that he's changed but he's afraid of rejection. He's just an eighteen year old boy who wants to feel like he belongs somewhere, and he should feel that here at Hogwarts. I think there's more to Draco than the stuck-up prat everyone thinks they see. He's got a lot of stuff to deal with, and I expect having people judging him for who he was isn't making it any easier. He's trying. I respect Draco for his ability to admit he was wrong and try to make it better. He's a good guy. I'm glad we got paired together for the year._


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! I wasn't going to post this today, because I'm currently in the middle of writing a... well... a particularly saucy fic, but I'm not quite sure who I want the main characters to be. As of now, it's Neville and Hannah, who I've never tried to write before, but I'm quite looking forward to it. (If you wanna check it out, it's up now. It's called Success.) Anyway, I wasn't going to do this, but my Doc Manager was up, so I figured, eh, why not, right?**

**Anyway, chapter three!**

**Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Three

Malfoy was the first person out of the room once Professor Michaels dismissed us. I was shocked at how quickly he left, and without looking at anyone.

I was still thinking about it when Seamus, Dean, and Neville caught up with me.

"So, Ari, how awful was it being paired with the snake prince?" Dean asked. I winced at the nickname.

"At least he didn't yell at her," Neville argued. "Pansy nearly ripped my throat out." While Neville was considerably braver since the war, there was one thing that would always scare him: Pansy Parkinson. Ever since Neville had cut the head of Voldemort's beloved snake, Nagini, Pansy had been begging Neville to take her on a date. The girl only dated men who she deemed "powerful" enough, apparently. However, the could-have-been-Chosen-One was completely infatuated with one Hannah Abbott, which was most likely the cause of all the death glares Neville had been getting. Parkinson wasn't overly fond of rejection.

Dean and Seamus had a good laugh at Neville's expense and I headed off to Muggle Studies with him. Nothing exciting happened, especially since I knew how Muggles lived already and wasn't going to learn anything new. When we walked in to Defense against the Dark Arts Neville saw Hannah and sat next to her leaving me to sit with Seamus while Dean ran off to sit with Ernie MacMillan.

"So, really. Wha' happened with Malfoy?" Shay asked quietly. "He didn't even complain about being paired with a Gryffindor."

"Yeah. He..." I didn't know what to say. I was sure Draco wouldn't want me gossiping about what we'd talked about. "He didn't say much at all."

Professor Ikeridge walked in then, and Shay didn't have time to say anything else.

After DADA, where we reviewed a few spells and spent the rest of the hour talking about the war and the most commonly used spells during the time (a touchy subject for all of us) I met up with Dean and Seamus to walk down to the Great Hall for lunch. Dean was still on his rant about Professor Ikeridge. "I'm not saying he's a bad guy, but he's _American_. He wasn't here for the war! He doesn't know anything that happened. All he did was spout off statistics he read from old _Prophets_."

"Yes, Dean. But he did teach Hannah Abbott the proper way to perform _Serpent Sortia_," I countered, trying to at least keep the boy from hating our new professor.

"That's a second year spell," Dean argued. "It doesn't count."

"I disagree," Seamus said. "I've used it loads of times to scare someone long enough for me to throw a better spell their way."

"Whatever," Dean resigned. "I still think he's stupid."

I smiled at my friend's stubbornness as we walked into the Great Hall but my smile quickly faded. I could feel someone watching me, and it was very creepy. I stopped walking, immediately scanning the tables. There.

Draco Malfoy's silver eyes were glued to mine and I found it impossible to look away. Why was he staring at me? Was he angry? I couldn't think of any reason he would be angry with me, unless he was miffed that I brought up his dad… But I thought we understood each other more because of that…

"Ari? Let's go!" The sound of Seamus' voice brought me back to reality. I quickly looked at him so he wouldn't see me staring at Malfoy. Luckily, he didn't notice. He just pulled me along with him and Dean to our usual spot with Ginny, Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Harry. When I sat down, I spared a glance behind me. Malfoy was still staring, but looked down once our eyes met again.

"Arianna, what is your deal?" Ginny asked. My head snapped back around to face my friends, and I hoped no one would notice the blush slowly staining my cheeks.

"Sorry," I said. "What was that?" Gin had a look of disapproval on her face.

"Seamus was asking why Malfoy was staring at you, and I want to know why you were staring back," she said, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. She had a knowing look in her eyes and I was terrified that she would take this out of context.

"Malfoy was staring at me?" I asked, trying to sound innocently confused. "That's odd."

"Don't act like you didn't notice." Seamus narrowed his eyes at me. "You were gazing right back."

"I don't know what you lot are on about," I replied. "I only talk to him when I have to, and that's in class." I took a bite of the roast beef we were having for lunch, hoping someone would bring up another subject that didn't revolve around me.

"Why would he be staring at you then?" asked Hermione. I noticed that she, Ron, and Harry were all listening intently to our conversation.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe he's thinking of insults to use the next time he sees me," I suggested half-heartedly. No one looked particularly convinced, least of all Ginny and Seamus, but they finally let it go and the topic became centered on Ginny and her Potions class with Professor Slughorn.

xXx

That night, in the common room, I was going over my schedule and the likelihood that I would have a good final year. I had Uniting Houses with the Eighth years; Muggle Studies with the Hufflepuffs; Defense with the Hufflepuffs; then, after lunch, there was Arithmancy with the Slytherins; Herbology with the Slytherins; and finally, Potions with the Ravenclaws.

Suddenly, a wild red-haired girl appeared in the chair across from me. I snapped from my reverie to give her my attention.

"I'm going to talk to Harry," she said, not bothering with formalities. My eyebrows rose and I smiled.

"That's great, Red! I hope everything goes smoothly," I replied.

"Yeah, it'll be nice if everything works out. Then everyone will have someone! Neville and Hannah, Dean and Parvati, Ron and Hermione, you and Malfoy, Seamus and Delia, and me and Harry!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah. Except, Dean, Seamus, and Neville aren't technically dating those girls. Yet," I smiled. Ginny and I spent a little while talking about our guy friends until Harry walked through the portrait hole. Ginny excused herself to go and speak with him. Fifteen minutes later she ran over and hugged me, ecstatic that she and Harry were back together. We spent a good while talking about that, and soon I left to go to bed. It wasn't until I was almost asleep that I realized what she had said.

Me and Malfoy?! As if!


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! Here's another addition to Marshmallows and Toothpicks! I'd really love some feedback on this chapter, and the rest of the story, mostly because this is where I started disliking the story and where it was going. So, if you guys could just tell me how I'm doing, that would be fantastic!**

**Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Four

By the time next Monday came around, I was still slightly put off by Ginny's remark, and even more upset that I didn't catch it. Even worse, the more I thought about it the weirder I felt. I didn't like Malfoy, I barely even knew him, but I felt a connection with him that no one else understood. I couldn't explain it to my mates, they'd think I was crazy, but I wanted to talk to someone about it. I figured Ginny would be the easiest to talk to since she was the most level-headed person in the group when it came to the Slytherins. She'd even seen Blaise Zabini a couple times over the summer, nothing too serious, but it made me think she'd be a good person to talk to.

After breakfast, I made my way up to Uniting Houses with Dean and Seamus, who were so busy talking about chocolate frog cards that they didn't notice me lagging behind. I was nervous about going to Muggle Studies and sitting with Malfoy again. Would he be as civil as he was a week ago?

When I walked into class, I was surprised to see that Malfoy was already there. He was facing the front of the room, but after I separated from Dean and Seamus and sat in my seat, he turned to me.

"Arianna," he said, nodding to me. Apparently we were using first names.

"Draco," I replied, nodding back. I got out the usual supplies for class and Draco and I didn't speak again until Professor Michaels got class started.

"Today," she began, holding a stack of papers in her hand, "I will hand back the papers you wrote for me a week ago about your partners. However, I will be returning these papers back to the person about whom they were written. While reading through these papers I was quite upset to see how little you all knew of those from other Houses, so I believe you all need to see what the other person wrote so you can get a feel of how people from other houses perceive you."

"Merlin's pants," I heard Draco mumble. I wondered if he was just as weary for me to see what he wrote if I was for him to see what I wrote. I didn't think anyone but Professor Michaels would see the papers.

By the time she got to our table my hands were shaking. I didn't want Malfoy to think I was a freak.

"Very nice, Draco. And you, too, Arianna. I was glad to see that you two seemed to understand the other person," Michaels said, handing us our respective papers then walking away, explaining that we were to read what our partner wrote and discuss it when finished. I winced as Malfoy automatically began reading what I wrote. I sighed, knowing I'd have to get it over with sooner or later. I looked down at my paper and began to read.

_Draco Malfoy_

_Uniting Houses_

_She's brave to ask me such personal questions; Gryffindor through and through. I admire her bravery, though. For some reason, I feel like I can talk to her about anything. Perhaps the fact that both our fathers are good-for-nothing losers gives us something in common. Whatever the reason, I enjoy it. I haven't been able to talk to anyone about Father, and I like knowing that she won't judge me based on my past. She tells me that being able to feel bad about what I've done is my best trait; I think her best trait is her compassion for others. She didn't let her tosspot of a father ruin her like I did...  
Arianna Joanne Taylor. It's a beautiful name. She says her best physical quality is her hair, but I think it's her eyes. They're a soft blue, not overwhelming, and when she looks at me I can tell she cares about what I'm saying. I don't feel like she's an interviewer for the papers, just trying to get the dirt on the Malfoy family.  
She says she likes being at Hogwarts because she feels like she belongs... It's eerie how much we have in common. I've never really belonged anywhere. At the Manor, I was just the boy who would grow up to bring pride to the Malfoy name. Under Voldemort's command, I was just some boy to do his bidding. But here... Here, I know at least one person cares about Draco Malfoy's feelings...  
Arianna Joanne Taylor. She's really very nice._

I was astonished. How could he have thought such things by only speaking to me for ten minutes? I didn't know what to say. I looked up at him only to find that he was staring at me intensely. I didn't know what to do, either. How does one react to that kind of… kindness?

After what seemed like ages, he finally spoke, never taking his eyes off mine. "I expect you think I'm a nutter?" I let out a breathy laugh. As if!

"Why would I think you're a nutter? This is…" My voice trailed off as my eyes skimmed the paper. After a moment I realized he was still waiting for me to speak. "It's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me. Ever." I looked up at Draco to see a small smile on his lips. I couldn't help but smile back.

"As was yours," he said. "And I meant what I wrote, about it seeming like you're the only person who understands sometimes. No one thinks the Slytherin Prince can change, but you… You're different. You don't judge me like the rest of the world has. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I replied. "But you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. If you would only show people the person you've become, they would accept you, Draco. It will be tough, but it will be the right thing to do. You've got to let people know you're not…"

"A stuck-up prat?" he smirked. I smiled at him. He really wasn't so bad once you got to know him. Suddenly, he ran a hand through his white-blond hair and exhaled deeply.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He shook his head, a few strands of hair falling onto his forehead.

"Nothing," he said, but I could tell he was lying. I nudged his knee with mine. He looked down at his hands and didn't talk for a long time, merely playing with the large emerald ring on his right hand.

"It's you, actually," he said after a while. I frowned. What had I done wrong? "I'm just not used to feeling so… comfortable. Like I can tell you anything and I know you won't laugh at me, or hate me, or send a Bat Bogey hex my way."

"I would never," I said. "Ginny is much better at the Bat Bogey hex than I am." This earned me a smile from Draco and I returned it hesitantly. This was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

"Listen, why don't you eat lunch with me today? You can hang out with normal people. We won't judge." He frowned, causing a crease in his forehead. I knew before I asked that he would decline, but I at least wanted to offer so he knew he could join us if he wanted.

"I don't know," he hesitated. "Potter and Weasley aren't exactly fond of me. Neither is Granger, for that matter. We haven't exactly… resolved things." He looked down at the floor once again and, without thinking about it first, I reached over and put my hand on his cheek, turning his face to me. I was shocked, and so was Malfoy given the look on his face, but I didn't remove my hand. I just looked him straight in the eye and hoped my cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

"It doesn't matter what they think about the old you, Draco. What matters is what they think about who you've become. And they'll never know the new you unless you show them. Understood?" He nodded and I dropped my hand.

What would Ginny say if she found out?


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! Here's another chapter of Arianna's story. Also, I've noticed that quite a few Mary Sues go by the name Arianna, or another variation of such, and it would mean a lot to me if you guys let me know if she gets to be too Mary Sue-ish. I WILL fix it!**

**Also, a little bit of self-advertisement, I just uploaded a new one-shot type thing called ****_Lupine_****, if any of you want to read it. It's about Remus and an OC.**

**Anyway, enjoy! :)**

Chapter Five

After Defense, I made my way down to the Great Hall with Ginny; Dean, Seamus, and Neville had caught up with Harry and Ron, talking about the official Dumbledore's Army club that had been reinstated after the war for students interested in going into professions involving the eradication of the Dark Arts.

Taking a deep breath, I realized I should probably use this alone time to let Ginny know that Malfoy may be joining us for our afternoon meal.

"Ginny—"

"Why is Malfoy staring at you?" I followed her gaze and saw that Malfoy was indeed standing outside the Great Hall, one hand in his pocket, the other running nervously through his hair, his silver eyes following our descent to the Great Hall. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tore my gaze from Malfoy's.

"Ginny, I need you to hear me out—"

"What did you _do_?" She looked at me worriedly.

"I invited him to eat lunch with us and it would really mean a lot to me if you _didn't_ make him feel like an arse, no matter how much he may have acted like one in the past. Please?" I sent her my puppy dog eyes; she jerked me to a stop fifteen feet away from Malfoy.

"I don't like him, Ari. He was a complete prick to me and my family," she murmured. "But if you can trust him… I can try." With that she smiled, pushed me towards Malfoy, and skipped into the Great Hall.

"Hey," I said to him, giving him a shy smile. _Come on, Arianna. Where's that Gryffindor courage? _"So, you ready?" Malfoy just stared at me, hesitation clear on his face.

"Look, it's really nice of you to try and help me, but… I just don't see this happening. Thanks anyway." And with that, he turned and headed down the corridor, away from the Great Hall.

"What just happened?" I asked no one in particular. Things were friendly enough between us, right? I thought I had actually broken his barriers, gotten him to open up a little. I had hoped we were moving in the right direction…

I shook my head and slowly made my way to the Gryffindor table, sitting next to Ginny and Seamus. I vaguely sensed Ginny's questioning look.

"Hey, Arianna," Seamus said. I grunted in reply.

"Where's Malfoy?" Ginny asked bluntly. Seamus laughed.

"Probably off teasing first years," he said. My head snapped up. How dare he say that about Malfoy? He was really trying to show people he'd changed, and it was people like Seamus who kept him from doing that.

"Why don't you shut your gob, Finnigan? You don't know anything." I stormed off to my next class, all the while wondering when I had gotten so defensive of Malfoy.

xXx

Later that night, at dinner, I still hadn't talked to Seamus, even though I knew I would have to apologize sooner or later. I was betting it would be sooner since he kept throwing me sorrowful glances from a seat six people away from me. After the fifth time, I decided it was enough.

"Hey, Finnigan!" I yelled. Everyone jumped at the sound of my voice; I hadn't spoken to anyone since lunch, I realized with a shock. Oh, well. I was talking now.

"Yeah?" he answered wearily. I smiled at his expression.

"Sorry." That was all he needed. He stood and made the person in front of me, some second year, move one seat down. Then he kissed his thumb and pressed it to my forehead, and I did the same to him. It was a thing between me, him, Ginny and Dean; our way of sealing our apologies.

After our make-up, we moved down to join Dean, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. We all laughed, joked, and had a good time, but I couldn't really enjoy it. Not when I had a clear view of Malfoy, looking sad and alone at the Slytherin table. He, too, was surrounded by friends: Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, the Greengrass sisters, Theodore Nott. However, he didn't really seem… happy. Of course, how could he be? Everyone still thought he was a prick.

I didn't finish my dinner. Instead, I told everyone that I had some studying to do and made my way out of the Great Hall. Without a destination I let my feet guide me. Apparently, they wanted me to sit by the Great Lake. I leaned up against a tree and pulled my knees up to my chest, letting my thought take over.

Malfoy really had changed, and it made my heart ache to know that I was the only one able to see it. I wished I knew a way to make people see the new him.

Of course, the idea that I had offered, he refused. Why wouldn't he just sit with me? It would show the entire school that he was trying to start over, trying to be different. Why would he just walk away like that? Was it me? Was it because he didn't trust me? Didn't want to be seen with me?

Holy Hufflepuffs, what has gotten into me? I've never been one to fret about a boy, but here I am, spending all my time thinking about Malfoy…

"Your face is going to get stuck like that, you know." I jumped, startled by the unexpected voice. Looking up, I saw that it was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Like what?" I asked stupidly. He smirked and sat down next to me.

"That 'I'm thinking really hard about something' expression. So, what's on your mind, Taylor?" Oh, back to surnames…

"Nothing. Why are you out here?" I asked, staring out into the dark waters. I smiled as I saw the end of a giant tentacle splash the water.

"Well, I suppose I could leave," he said, moving to get up.

"No!" I yelled, perhaps too quickly. Then I noticed the smile on his face. I blushed furiously and turned my face, hoping he wouldn't notice. He didn't say anything, just stared out at the Great Lake. I sneaked a peek over at him, noticing for the first time that the sunset made his eyes look especially bright. I saw Malfoy glance over at me, and quickly turned back to the water, knowing that I was caught and cursing myself for it.

"I heard about what you said today, to Finnigan," he said softly. I slowly looked at him, but he wasn't looking at me. He was leaning back against the tree, one leg pulled up against his chest, his hands folded up on his knee, his eyes closed

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to brush it off. I didn't want to seem obsessive.

"Don't play dumb, Taylor. The She-Weasel talks. I just wanted to come out here and say thanks. I don't deserve it." The frown on his face let me know that he truly believed it.

I shook my head, then, realizing he couldn't see it, I countered with, "You're wrong."

Opening his eyes, Malfoy turned towards me. "Am I? I'm evil, Arianna. I've done things that would make you run away screaming."

"You're not perfect, Malfoy, but you're worth saving. I know you're not the same person you used to be. You've changed," I said. "For the better." Without realizing it, I had moved closer to him, and now our faces were mere inches apart.

"I've never been a good person," he whispered. I could feel his breath against my face and I couldn't help but look down at his lips, secretly wishing they would meet mine.

"Arianna." I saw more than heard his lips form my name. My eyes automatically met his and I felt a shiver go down my spine. My heart skipped a beat – cliché, I know, but it really happened.

I felt myself lean into him, but I wasn't thinking clearly enough to say "no". I closed my eyes and our lips met, brief but sweet. Too soon, he pulled away. I opened my eyes to see him staring wide-eyed at me, a blush creeping up his face.

"I – I am so sorry," I stuttered. "I don't know why I did that. I didn't—" I was cut off by Malfoy's lips crashing back onto mine. I responded immediately, my arms going around his neck. His lips were soft against mine. Again, he pulled away much too soon for my liking.

When I opened my eyes, the smile on his face made me blush profusely. I'd had my share of boyfriends, but I'd never felt this kind of rush. _What is happening?_

"Malfoy?" I said stupidly, and a little breathlessly I might add.

"I have to go," he said. He stood and turned back towards the castle. I frowned. Did I do something wrong? After about ten feet he stopped and turned to me. "I'll see you tomorrow." Then he winked – Draco Malfoy just winked at me! – and continued off towards the school.

Oh, man. If Ginny was upset that I wanted him to sit with us, this would really make her temper flare.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! I'm out for the day and I have MUCH better internet than I do at home so I thought I'd celebrate by giving you another chapter! I know the lot of you probably don't care about my life, but I'd just like to tell you that I went out with friends last night and the boy that invited me out made ME pay for a dinner that I didn't even eat! He ate all but two hot wings (which is what I ate) and I paid for the whole meal! Ugh. I hate when people don't pay for their fair share of things.**

**Anyway, enough of my rant. I apologize for that.**

**Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Six

"I'm sorry," Ginny said. "It really just sounded like you said that you kissed Malfoy." I was still waiting for the blow-up. I was sure it would come, though. The entire walk back up to the common room, I was torn by thoughts of kissing Malfoy and telling Ginny that I had not only kissed him, but that I really wanted to do it again. When I reached the common room, she had been – ahem – occupied with Harry, and I didn't want to interrupt. Then two days had passed before I knew it and I still hadn't told her. But on a Thursday night, she saw Malfoy wink at me from across the Great Hall and she jerked me out of my seat, up seven flights of stairs to the common room, then up to her dorm where she pushed me onto the bed, locked the door and silenced the room. She then turned wildly, crossing her arms over her chest and demanding the story.

"I did," I said. "And then he kissed me." Ginny stared at me, then blew out a long breath.

"Wow. I never expected my best friend to be a traitor," she said harshly. I felt like she had just punched me in the stomach. Repeatedly.

"Gin… Come on, don't—Look, just let me explain," I begged. She glared at me then sat dramatically on the bed, flourishing her arm in a "go on" gesture. I took a deep breath.

"Okay… Well, he's different." She laughed harshly and rolled her eyes. I waited patiently for her to finish, then continued. "He's really not the same. He's grown up a lot; he doesn't care about blood status. And he's really nice," I finished lamely. I really needed to work on defending other people to fiery red-heads.

"Prove it," she said. My eyes widened. How was I supposed to prove it without her giving him a chance? Then it hit me. I told Ginny to wait there, then ran out of her dorm, up to mine, threw open my trunk and pulled out Draco's assignment from the first day of Uniting Houses.

I ran back to her room, stopped in the doorway to catch my breath, then walked over to Gin's bed. I hesitated before giving it to her, though. Malfoy didn't even want me to see it, so I wasn't sure he'd want other people to see it… But I needed to show her that he was different. I reluctantly handed Ginny the paper, hoping that she wouldn't ruin it.

I watched her wearily as she read it, and saw her face change with every line. At first she looked angry enough to send a Bat-Bogey Hex at me then as she continued her face softened into a gentle smile. By the end, she looked sort of sad, and I knew she was reading the part about him feeling like an outcast. Her eyes met mine when she finished.

"He's changed," I repeated. She looked down at the paper and nodded.

"I'm so sorry, Ari. I never would have said anything if I knew…" I walked over and put my arm around her.

"I know. It's okay. But I'm really not the one you should be apologizing to." Regardless, she kissed her thumb and pressed it to my forehead. I repeated the gesture then stood.

"Come on," I said to her. "Let's get you back to Potter."

xXx

Sitting in my chair before Uniting Houses, I watched Professor Michaels dance around the class talking to students. I tried not to pay too much attention to the fact that class was to start in three minutes and Malfoy still wasn't there. I wondered how I was supposed to act when I saw him; should I act like nothing happened? Should I invite him to eat with me again?

"Good morning, Arianna," I heard. I turned to see Malfoy lowering himself into his chair. With those three words, he was causing me to blush. He looked at me, his eyes eventually falling on my lips, causing me to smile. I wasn't the only one thinking about our kisses.

"Good morning, Malfoy. Sleep well?" I asked, still smiling. He gave me a smirk.

"Incredibly well, actually," he replied, pulling two quills out of his bag. I frowned, wondering why he needed two quills; then he held one underneath the table and, using his wand, transfigured it into a beautiful red tulip.

"For you," he said, handing me the flower. I smiled up at him and took the gift, glad we weren't pretending the kiss didn't happen.

"Thanks," I said. I was going to say more but Professor Michaels interrupted to begin the class.

"Good morning, class. Today we're going to be doing a class activity. Everyone stand and gather your things, we're going to move the desks to the edges of the room." We all levitated our tables and chairs to push them against the walls then put our things on the tables. Professor Michaels gathered us all to the middle of the room.

"Alright, I want boys on this side," she said, gesturing to her left, "and girls over here," pointing to her right. "Good, now," she drew two lines, one on each side with about two metres between the lines, "I want you all behind the lines." We all did as told, while looking questioningly at each other.

"Um, excuse me, Professor?" Hermione questioned, raising her hand. Professor Michaels gestured for her to continue. "What exactly are we going to be doing?"

"Good question, Miss Granger. This game is called Cross the Line. I will ask a question, for example, 'Who has a 'D' in their name?' and those who do step over the line." She stopped, waiting. Finally people understood that she wanted us to actually do it. Those with D's in their names stepped over. "The point is to learn more about the lives of your classmates. You may step back. Okay, first question: Who has at least one sibling?" Many of my classmates stepped forward, including Ron, who got a few snickers. After a few seconds of looking around, they all stepped back.

"Next question: Who has more than ten pairs of shoes?" We all laughed, but a few people stepped over, including Parvati, Padma, Delia, Pansy, and Draco. I smiled at him and rolled my eyes. He stuck his tongue out at me. We got a few weird looks, and Ron, Dean, and Seamus looked pissed. I ignored them. I would enjoy this while I could.

"Okay," Professor Michaels continued once they stepped back. "Does anyone want to try a question?" Seamus' hand shot up. Michaels nodded her go ahead.

"Who has ever belittled someone because of their blood status?" Seamus asked, glaring at Malfoy. I gasped, and so did a few others in the class. Professor Michaels was about to say something, but then Malfoy stepped forward. After seeing this, the other Slytherins started to follow suit. Pansy stepped forward, then Blaise, then the others. I put my hand over my mouth to stifle another gasp.

They stepped back. Professor Michaels stared, shocked at the response. She quickly regained herself. "Okay, um, anyone else?" Draco raised his hand.

"Who feels awful for everything mean thing they've ever said about anyone?" He stepped forward as he said this. The class was silent. I stepped forward. Then Ron followed. Harry and Hermione did, too. Then everyone in the room stepped forward at almost the same time. Everyone except Seamus. We all stared at him.

"There are a few people who deserve it," he said, looking at Malfoy.

"There are a few people who need to grow up and act like they went through that war like the rest of us did, _Finnigan_," Malfoy shot back.

"If it weren't for _some people_ we wouldn't have had that war!" Seamus yelled.

"_I AM NOT VOLDEMORT!"_ Malfoy bellowed. Everyone in the room was silent. I don't think anyone was breathing. "It wasn't my fault," he whispered. Then he turned and walked out without a glance back. He didn't even grab his stuff.

I was too shocked to say anything. Fortunately, Professor Michaels cut in. "Okay, class. Put your desks back in their spots, then you're dismissed. Except you, Mr. Finnigan, you need to stay here." I quickly moved my table back then grabbed my things and slung Malfoy's bag around my shoulder. I raced out the door, hoping I could find him before the next class.

xXx

I didn't find him. I knew he couldn't have gotten far since he can't leave the grounds, but that didn't mean I didn't worry. I barely made it through my next two classes. Once DADA was over, I rushed out the door, but Ginny grabbed my arm before I could make it too far.

"He obviously doesn't want to be found, Ari," the red-head told me calmly. I shook my head.

"I don't care. I need to talk to him. Help him," I insisted. Ginny gave me a look and I knew she was going to try to stop me.

"Gin," I said. "I need to do this." That stopped her. She gave me one look then let me go. I ran down the hall.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! Another chapter! I know not a lot of you are reading this, but i would just like to say that I really appreciate those of you who are reading, even if you're not reviewing. I don't care about reviews; I care about writing things that my readers like. That being said, if you have any complaints about the story, I can't do anything about it if I don't know what's wrong with it. You dig? Cool.**

**Now that the annoying part is over...**

**Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Seven

Where would I go if I were him? I thought. I still hadn't found him by the time Defense Against the Dark Arts was over. He wasn't by the tree, he wasn't in the Slytherin common rooms (I still got chills from thinking about Pansy's glare when I asked her to check), and he wasn't in the Great Hall for dinner...

Where would I go if I didn't want anyone to find me?

Then it hit me.

The Room of Requirement.

I sprinted up the stairs to the seventh floor, past all the portraits until I saw Barnaby. Then I began pacing.

_I need to find Draco. I need to find Draco. I need to find Draco._

Then the door appeared. I rushed over and threw it open.

The room was dark, pitch black, except for the fire raging in the hearth. There was a small black leather couch, on which Draco was sprawled. He had his arm thrown over his eyes.

It was then that I noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be any kind of girl if I didn't appreciate his lean, muscular build. But that wasn't what drew my attention.

It was the blood.

His left arm, the one facing me, not covering his face, was dripping with blood. I gasped; he jumped, moving his arm from his face.

"Arianna!" He jumped up off the couch, thrusting his arm behind his back. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?" I ignored him, running over and grabbing his left arm. I drew my wand and did a quick Scourgify, revealing his lacerated forearm. I cursed under my breath, wondering if he'd used a chainsaw on his arm, then wrapped it in bandages. I cleaned the couch then pushed him over to it, forcing him to lie down. I knelt next to him on the floor and cleaned his blood from my hands by wiping them on my pants.

"Why are you here?" he repeated.

"Shut up, you idiot," I snapped. I wasn't happy that I'd spent all day looking for him only to find that he was practically bleeding out in the Room of Requirement.

I took his left arm and saw that the bandages were already bleeding through.

"Shit," I muttered. I carefully undid the bandages to check the wound.

Now, just like everyone else in Hogwarts, I knew that Malfoy had been a Death Eater. Unlike everyone else in Hogwarts, I didn't care. I didn't even blink when, after a careful Aguamenti, the Dark Mark was revealed. I simply closed my eyes and silently asked the Room for some Essence of Dittany. When it appeared, I quickly opened it and spread some over Malfoy's arm. He hissed at first, but that quickly turned into a sigh when the wounds began to close. I replaced the old bandages with new ones then wished for the room to rid us of the old, bloody things.

I sat back on my heels and took a deep breath. Draco was quiet, apparently waiting for me to say something. I didn't.

I was so angry! How could he do that to himself? It was obviously self-inflicted, since he was so calmly lying on the couch, not trying to stop the bleeding.

"Damn it, Draco!" I yelled. Oops. That was supposed to be in my head. I glanced up at him, but he was staring down at his arm. That stupid mark. That's what it was; he was trying to get rid of it. I sighed and reached up, covering the bandages. He looked at me, but his eyes were empty of emotion.

"How long have you been up here, Draco?" I asked softly. He looked away.

"Why are you here?" His voice was harsh.

"I came to find you, thickhead," I answered. "And I'm damn glad I did."

"How did you know where I was?" His voice broke and I knew then why he turned away.

"Draco…" I whispered. "Look at me." He didn't move for a long minute, and I assumed he wasn't going to. I was just about to stand when he finally looked at me. His eyes were red and there were tears sliding down his cheeks. My heart broke.

"I looked everywhere for you. Michaels let us out early, kept Seamus. I looked by the lake, I asked Hagrid if he'd seen you. I looked in the Astronomy Tower. I even asked Parkinson if you were in the common room. Then I realized you didn't want anyone to find you. Not even me. So I ran up here after Defense and… here I am… Why would you do this, Draco?"

He looked down at my hands, which were still on his arm. He sighed. "He's right, Finnigan. I shouldn't be forgiven. I've done awful things, Arianna. And I regret them. But… That doesn't make it right. Nothing can make it right."

"Draco. Just the fact that you want to make it right makes it—"

"NO!" he yelled. I fell back onto my bum. I felt my eyes burn with tears. I wiped at my eyes to prevent the tears from falling, and that motion brought Draco back.

He slid off the couch and wiped the tears from my eyes; they were falling freely now. "I didn't mean to yell, it's just… Damn it, Ari, I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sorry." He pulled me against his chest and I tried to keep the tears at bay.

We just sat there in silence until I felt I could talk without my voice breaking. "You didn't have to do that, Draco. Trying to cut it off your arm. That was stupid." He laughed humorlessly.

"I've done a lot of stupid things, Ari," he muttered. He sounded so defeated.

"I don't care," I said, pulling away from him. "Trying to bleed out isn't something I'll allow. I'm here for you Draco, whether you want me or not. I know you're not as terrible as everyone thinks you are, and I'm going to try my hardest to make sure everyone sees that you've changed." He smiled down at me and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear.

"How did I get so lucky to have such an amazing girl as my partner?" he asked. I smiled and felt a blush creep onto my cheeks, thankful that the room was dark and he couldn't see it.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, always one to ruin a perfectly good romantic moment.

"Better, now," he answered.

"I think you should probably eat something," I said. "You lost a lot of blood so you need to get something in your system." And then there was food. A house elf appeared next to us holding a plate full of sandwiches out to me, so I thanked her and she bowed then Disapparated. Draco chuckled. "Well, that is amazing."

I climbed off his lap, grabbing a sandwich and quickly biting into it. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I saw the food. Draco stood to put on his shirt and tie, then he took a sandwich and leaned back into the couch, stretching his legs. Then I realized something.

"This doesn't count as you eating lunch with me, you know," I said. He quickly chewed and swallowed his food.

"I told you, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Draco, don't be daft! I didn't say you had to eat with everyone else, especially Seamus. I just want people to see that you can put aside our differences and eat with a Gryffindor."

"They'll think it's a Unity project," he countered.

"It's a start, Draco! I don't see why you keep putting down all my ideas!" I exclaimed, throwing down my sandwich and standing, only to begin pacing. He stared up at me. And kept staring until I asked what the hell his problem was.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "I just wasn't expecting that."

"Well, I just don't understand why you won't accept my help! Do you not want to be near me? Do you not want to be seen with me?" I stopped pacing and crossed my arms over my chest, tapping my foot. I wasn't sure why I was acting so dramatically; I just really wanted answers.

"Arianna, calm down. It's not that I don't want to be seen with you," he said, standing and walking over to me. He put his hands on my shoulders. I looked away, not wanting him to see how hurt I was. "I just don't want you to be seen with me." Alright, that was confusing.

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" I asked, glaring up at him.

"It means people already hate me. I don't want them to think badly of you."

"I don't care anymore. You deserve better than this," I said. He stared down at me for a long second.

"Can I join you for dinner tomorrow?" he asked, smirking. I couldn't help but smile.

"Of course."


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! Sorry it's been so long! My internet has been wonky (as usual) and it hasn't let me on in DAAAYYYSSSSS. I nearly collapsed from withdrawals.**

**Anyhoozles, this is a chapter that I'm not proud of at all, mostly because there's not a lot of substance (then again, this story is 99% fluff, so I guess that's not really an issue...?) and it's just an overall disappointment to me for some reason...**

**All that aside, however, enjoy! :)**

Chapter Eight

We left the Room of Requirement soon after, and took our time walking to the Gryffindor common room, hand in hand to my delight. Draco left me at the portrait, giving me a smile and a "Thanks" then walking off down the corridor, getting a multitude of stares from my fellow Gryffindors who were making their way back from dinner. I simply giggled and headed into the common room, smiling like an idiot.

I plopped down on the couch next to Ginny, Harry, and Ron. Ginny noticed my stupid grin and excused us, taking me up to my dorm. We sat on my bed, curtains closed and a _Muffliato_ cast. After the spell was cast, I filled Ginny in. Of course, I left out some things, namely that Draco was trying to cut off his arm, but told her mostly everything, including that he would be joining us for dinner the next day.

"Oh my god," she whispered. "He really cares for you. He's such a sweetheart. I didn't think it was possible." I scoffed.

"That's nice, Gin," I said. She smiled sheepishly at me. I smirked. It was hard to be angry when Draco would finally be showing the school how much he'd changed.

xXx

Potions the next day made me angry. Well, not so much Potions as my lab partner for the class, Seamus. As soon as I sat down, he was glaring at me.

"What's your problem, Finnigan?" I asked icily. I still wasn't happy.

"So I'm Finnigan to ya now, is that it?" he snapped back.

"Yeah, you are. What you did yesterday in Unity was completely uncalled for. You really should apologize," I said, glaring right back at him. Seamus and I hadn't talked at all since his blow up in class, and I wasn't going to be happy with him until he apologized to Draco.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to apologize to that bastard. He's evil, Arianna, and you know it."

"No, I do not know that! Draco's not evil! He's changed! You're just too closed-minded to see it," I yelled. He looked as if I punched him.

"So," he said quietly. "He's Draco and I'm Finnigan? That's real nice, Arianna. Real great."

"Shay," I said softly. I didn't want to hurt him. "Just give him a chance, Shay." He didn't say anything. He didn't talk to me for the rest of class.

xXx

Since the Potions classroom is only thirty seconds from the Great Hall, Neville, Luna, Seamus and I were the first ones up for dinner. Seamus, of course, brushed right past me, but Neville and Luna stayed until I told them I was simply waiting for Ginny and they went in to eat.

Finally, Ginny arrived. She smiled when she saw me. "Hey, Little Red," I said when she got closer. She looked over her shoulder as if someone were following her. I gave her a questioning look.

"I just overheard Malfoy tell Blaise that he wasn't eating with them today," she grinned. I couldn't stop the blush that formed on my cheeks.

"You fancy him," she stated matter-of-factly. My eyes widened.

"I do not! I just want people to know the real him." It even sounded lame to me.

"Whatever you say, Ari. See you and Malfoy later." She winked at me then floated into the Great Hall.

Ten seconds later, I saw a flash of platinum blond over the crowd heading into Great Hall. Trying not to smile like a moron, I waited impatiently for Draco to make his way over to me.

He seemed shocked that I waited for him, but smiled at me nonetheless. "Hello," I greeted him.

"How were your classes?" he asked. I was shocked. Did he really care about something that stupid or was he just making awkward small talk?

"Erm, they were alright, I suppose," I answered. Then we walked into the Great Hall and I remembered Seamus. I frowned.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked. I shook my head as the Irish boy became visible through the crowd.

"Nothing. Can we sit away from everyone today?" I asked, not wanting to forgo any further glares from my friend.

"Of course," he answered. I picked a secluded spot at the end of the table, near the Head Table, where no one really wanted to sit. We sat down and I noticed that something was wrong. It was far too quiet.

Ah, yes. I forgot. The entire Great Hall was staring at the spot Draco and I sat, but as soon as we looked up, everyone turned to their friends and began talking. I sighed.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea," Draco said. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up and eat," I told him. It wasn't long after that that we heard a commotion from down the table. I looked over and was shocked to see Ginny standing, red-faced, in front of Ron, Harry, and Seamus.

"It's her choice!" the red-head was saying. "And you are all complete prats to think you can say who she can and can't sit with!" She stormed away from them and towards us. I looked at Draco, but he was glaring down at the three boys; they were glaring right back.

"Idiots," Ginny said, sitting next to me, across from Draco. She used my fork to stab one of my potatoes then put it in her mouth. I just stared at her. When she swallowed, she resumed her rant. "Stupid prats. Jerks. I can't believe they would say that!" That caught Draco's attention.

"What did they say?" he asked.

"Said Arianna's an idiot for thinking she can trust you because you're nothing but a no-good bastard. That last bit was from Finnigan," she answered. Draco's eyes darkened. I reached across the table and grabbed his hand.

"Draco." He looked at me. "Don't worry about it. We'll get them to listen."

"Arianna," he said softly. I raised an eyebrow at him. He shook his head and went back to his meal.

"She's right, Mal-Draco," Ginny said, surprising me. "We'll get them to listen."

"And if they don't," I heard Hermione's voice, "well, forget them." She sat down, right next to Draco, who was in the middle of taking a sip of pumpkin juice. Hermione sitting next to him obviously shocked him because he choked and spewed pumpkin juice all over me. I couldn't help but giggle (after I cleaned myself up, of course).

"Granger?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Yes, Malfoy?"

"Bloody hell. Erm… Hi?" Ginny, Hermione, and I laughed at him.

"I may have told 'Mione about Draco," Ginny said. Ah, that explained it.

"And I think Professor Michaels is right. The war is over, and it's time we all started acting like a school instead of separate houses. And how better to do this than to convert Slytherin's Prince to the Gryffindorks, right?" At that, Malfoy laughed out loud.

"Damn, Granger. You're funny," he said. He sounded surprised. She smiled at him.

"Thank you, Malfoy. Now, I think the boys are being incredibly thick, so I propose that we all eat dinner together, just the four of us, until they get it through their thick skulls that you're not evil… Anymore." Draco stared wide-eyed at her… until she winked at him.

Normally, I would have laughed at that, but for some reason… it made me angry. Was I jealous of Hermione? That's stupid, she's with Ron. _But that could always change_, my stupid brain said.

"Ari?" Draco said. I looked up at him. He gave me a questioning look, asking with his eyes if everything was okay. I smiled at him, and he seemed to take that as a positive sign. I mentally shook the jealousy from my head and focused on my friends and the delicious baked chicken in front of me.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! I decided to give you another chapter because I feel horrible for leaving you without one for so long! So, here it is. Chapter nine! **

**Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Nine

Dinner was great, once I got past my little green monster. We all laughed and joked, and I even felt Draco's gaze on me more than a few times, which helped cool my jealousy. He didn't look at Hermione or Ginny the way he looked at me.

We all left the Great Hall in high spirits, wanting to go hang out by the Great Lake before we had to get started on homework. However, Seamus, Dean, Harry, and Ron had other plans. As soon as we walked out of the Great Hall Hermione, Ginny, and I were grabbed by Ron, Harry, and Dean, and Seamus grabbed Malfoy by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.

"Shay! What are you doing?" I yelled, trying to shake Dean off me.

"Trying to find out what his plans are!" he yelled back. Ginny was fighting off Harry and Hermione had already broken free from Ron and had her wand against his throat.

"What's your game, Ferret?" Shay asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, Seamus? That was four years ago. Give it up," I said. He pointed his wand at me.

"Shut up, Arianna," he said. Draco wasn't happy about that.

"Hey! Watch where you point that wand, Finnigan! She hasn't done anything wrong!" Shay turned back to Draco, pointing his wand against his throat, but Draco was already angry. He wrenched himself free from Shay's grasp and reversed their positions, pointing his wand at Shay.

"First off," Draco began, "You, Potter, Weasley, and Thomas are going to apologize to these girls for handling them inappropriately. Second you're going to apologize to Ari for being a prick. Understood?" Seamus didn't say anything until Malfoy pushed his wand harder against his neck.

"Fine! Fine, I'm sorry! Let them go!" I was released from Dean's grasp, and Ginny from Harry's, but Hermione had already shot an _Incarcerus_ at Ron, and he was lying on the floor. I turned and smacked Dean, leaving a red mark on his cheek. He was clearly shocked, but I didn't care. I walked over to Seamus and Draco, pushing Draco out of the way and pointing my wand at Seamus.

"You'd better stay away from me, Finnigan," I said through my teeth, "unless you want your taste buds in your arse." I turned on my heel, grabbing Draco by the shirt and pulled him along with me.

I could hear Ginny yelling at the four boys, but I knew she and Hermione could handle them. Once we got to a deserted hallway I shoved Draco against the wall.

"What was that—" I cut him off by pressing my lips to his. He seemed shocked at first, but responded. I flicked my tongue across his bottom lip and he returned the gesture, and I willingly opened my mouth for him.

He tasted sweet and I loved it. His tongue explored my mouth and I completely forgot about Seamus or Dean or whoever else there was. I loved the feel of his mouth on mine, and I was extremely disappointed when I had to pull away to take a breath. That didn't stop him, though. He simply kissed his way down my jaw and neck, leaving soft love bites.

"Draco," I moaned when he gently bit the sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder. I felt him smile against my skin and he kissed his way back up my neck, across my jaw, and to my lips. He gently pressed his lips against mine once, twice, three times.

"Arianna," he said, leaning his forehead against mine. "Thanks for defending me. I'm sorry about those idiots."

"Who?" I asked, still in a daze from his kiss. He chuckled softly and I felt shivers go down my spine.

"Seriously, Ari. I'm really sorry," he murmured against my lips.

"Nothing to be sorry for," I said between kisses. "My choice." He kissed me slowly.

"Perhaps it's the wrong one," he said, pulling away. I frowned and shook my head. "I don't want you to lose your friends because of me. I'm not worth it."

"Stop that!" I said, putting my hands on either side of his head, forcing him to look at me. "I don't care about them right now. I… I care about you. You matter to me. You're worth it, Draco." I pressed my lips to his again, desperate to show him.

"What are you doing to me, witch?" he asked. I laughed.

"You don't know? I've got a spell on you, of course," I said airily.

"Of course," he smiled, and kissed me again.

Then Ginny ran up to us.

"Whoa," she said. "Sorry for interrupting this snog session, but Headmistress McGonagall wants us all in her office."

"Oh, fuck," Draco said.

Oh, fuck is right.

xXx

"What on earth were the eight of you doing fighting?" she yelled. We all hung our heads. Well, all of us except Ginny, of course. The girl knows no bounds.

"These idiots jumped us and Seamus threatened Draco, Headmistress. Honestly, I don't what their problem is." McGonagall just stared at them, expecting an answer. Seamus provided one.

"Our problem is that stupid Death Eater!"

"Seamus!" I yelled. "What the hell? He is not a Death Eater!"

"Says you! He's probably got some spell on you!" I laughed at the irony of the statement.

"You're such a prick, Shay! Ari's got the right to date whoever she wants!"

"So you're dating him now?" Ron cut in.

"It's none of your business, Ronald!" Hermione yelled at him.

"Bollocks! It is our business, right Harry?" Ron looked at the black-haired boy.

Harry was silent.

"Harry!" Seamus, Dean, and Ron yelled at the same time.

"Guys," Harry said in his "you're not going to like this" voice. "I just think that if Ari, Ginny, and Hermione can all trust him, he can't be that awful."

The room was silent for two seconds. Then Seamus, Ron, and Dean started yelling so fast and loud that I couldn't decipher it.

"ENOUGH!" McGonagall screamed. The room fell silent instantly. "Weasley, Thomas, Finnigan. Stay here. The rest of you: out!" We didn't need to be told twice.

Once outside McGonagall's office, Ginny was kissing Harry's face enthusiastically. "Oh, thank you, Harry! I knew you'd see it our way!" Harry smiled and gently removed Ginny from his person.

"You're welcome, love, but I didn't do it for you," he said, kissing her on the forehead before turning towards me and Draco. "I did it for him. I know what it's like to be hated just because someone said some things about you. And I trust my girls," he looked at me, Gin, and 'Mione. "But know this, Malfoy. If you hurt any of them, you'll be at the top of my shit list. Got it?"

Draco stared at him for a moment then held out a hand. Harry took it. "Got it."

xXx

Draco walked with us up to the Gryffindor common room so he could say goodnight. The others entered, not bothering to be quiet with the password as they knew the Fat Lady would change it once he was gone.

"Ari," Draco said once they were gone. I looked up into his light grey eyes.

"Yes?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't try to apologize again. He'd done so seventeen times since we left the Headmistress' office.

"Thank you," he said, hugging me close. He buried his face in my hair so his next words were muffled, but I got the gist: "You've saved me." I didn't answer; I simply hugged him back, as close to me as possible without squeezing the air from him.

After a few minutes, he pulled away, rather abruptly.

"Draco? Are you okay?" I asked worriedly. I didn't need to worry, though; he was smiling. "What is it?"

"Something you said earlier… Do you really know a spell to put someone's taste buds in their arse?"


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Fifteen minutes later, Draco was gone and I was in the common room. Ginny, Harry, and Hermione were on the couch by the fire, so I decided to go sit with them. I sat on the floor between Ginny's legs and she automatically began playing with my hair.

"Weren't you going to go to the library, 'Mione?" I asked.

"I was, but I want to wait for the Three Musketeers to return," she answered. I looked up, but immediately turned back to the fire. _If looks could kill..._

"Yeah," Ginny agreed. "I hope McGonagall gives them a month's worth of detentions."

"Oh, come on, Gin," Harry cut in, "they just don't know how to feel about this. Think about it, after the war we were all really confused. People were killed, friendships were destroyed, and Malfoy was the one who started it all by letting the Death Eaters into the castle to kill Dumbledore. Hell, this is hard for me, trying to trust him. But I love you guys too much not to." I couldn't speak. He was right. Malfoy was the first one to make a move…

But he was different. Just the fact that he was willing to laugh and joke with me, Hermione, and Ginny was proof. I knew he was different.

"What the hell was that, Taylor?" I heard. I jumped up and turned to face the "Three Musketeers" as Hermione called them. I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you on about, Weasley?" I asked icily. He scoffed.

"I'm talking about the fact that you just fed us to McGonagall for that stupid ferret!" I rolled my eyes.

"Again, Ronald, that was four years ago. Drop it."

"No! He's evil, Ari! I will not allow you to date him! He's going to turn you over to the dark side!"

"Honestly, Ronald! I'm not even dating him, and this is not Star Wars!" I found myself regretting the day I let him watch the original trilogy with me.

"And this isn't a joke, Taylor," Seamus said. Actually, it was more of a growl. His temper was absolutely ridiculous, almost as bad as Ginny's. His blue eyes were narrowed to slits and his hands were fists at his side.

"No one's joking, Finnigan. I'm being completely serious when I say that I trust him and I believe that he's changed. You don't know what he's been through." Well, to be completely honest, I only knew the basics, but that was enough… Wasn't it?

"You know what, guys?" Dean cut in. "I'm out. I'm not going to fight my best mate over some bloke. If Ari wants to date him, fine." He looked at me and continued, "But don't expect me to throw him a welcoming party." I nodded, and Dean made his way up the stairs to his dorm.

Seamus just stared at him with a confused expression. "Shay," I said softly. "Please trust me on this." I knew 'Mione would talk some sense into Ron so I wasn't really worried about him. "Shay."

"Ari, I can't just overlook the fact that he has the Dark Mark on his arm. I can't overlook the fact that he was Voldemort's right hand man. I can't overlook the fact that he stood by to watch while Hermione was being tortured by his crazy aunt. He's not a good person, Ari. Think about it."

"You're right, Shay. He did do all those things," I said, my heart aching. "But he regrets it, and he's willing to prove it to anyone who will listen. He willingly sat at the Gryffindor table, and didn't belittle 'Mione or Ginny once when they came to sit by us. He's trying, Shay. And that's more than what you're doing." Without waiting for a response, I pushed past him and Ron and walked out of the common room.

I wasn't sure where I wanted to go, so I was pretty surprised when I ended up in the Astronomy Tower. I knew no one would be up here since Astronomy classes didn't begin until midnight. I just needed somewhere quiet to think, and I found myself thinking about a lot of things I didn't want to bring up.

For example, the Astronomy Tower is where Draco faced Dumbledore. The thought made me shiver. I was sitting in the exact spot Bellatrix stood, according to Harry. I moved three feet to the right. I could imagine Draco and Dumbledore facing off. Dumbledore trying to convince Draco that he didn't have to do it. Draco insisting that Voldemort would kill him if he didn't. Dumbledore offering him a spot on our side. Then Bellatrix and the rest of them showing up. Snape… Dumbledore falling…

I wiped the tears from my eyes. If he wouldn't accept Dumbledore's help, why was he accepting mine? Why was I different?

I decided to ask him. I wanted the truth, all of it.

I picked myself up off the ground, wiping the dirt from my uniform, and made my way back down to the common room. I would talk to Draco. Unfortunately, it would have to wait until the next Unity class.

xXx

The next Monday, I left the common room before the rest of the girls in my dorm were even awake. I didn't want to be bothered, so I decided to get an early breakfast then head up to Uniting Houses early so I could figure out what I wanted to ask Draco.

I walked into the almost empty Great Hall, grabbing a napkin and a scone to eat on my way up. Walking up the stairs, I thought. What do I want to know? Everything. Do I really want to know everything? Of course. I already know he's done awful things, but he's trying to change and that's all that matters to me… But I need to know. I need to know who I'm defending to everyone.

Professor Michaels was the only one in the room when I arrived. She gave me a small wave, which I returned after setting my things down. Picking at my scone, I vowed that learning everything about Draco's past wouldn't change anything. That is, if he even told me. He had told me about how much he hated his dad, and Voldemort, but I didn't have much to go on from that.

"Miss Taylor?" I heard Professor Michaels ask in her airy voice.

"Yes, Professor?" I looked up at her and she motioned for me to go to her. I did, sitting on her desk when she gestured for me to do so.

"I've noticed you and Mister Malfoy have been spending a lot of time together." She stared at me, her light brown eyes innocently questioning me.

"Well, yes," I stammered. "We're becoming friends." Yes, that's better than "We've snogged quite a bit."

"And, Mister Finnigan?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. Him," I said. My voice sounded cold. "He doesn't approve."

"Ah, I see." She paused. "Well, would you like to help me gather the materials for today's assignment?" she asked. I gave her a questioning look.

"What exactly will we be doing?" I asked. I didn't like the look on her face.

"Today everyone will be working with their partners to build a tower!" she said enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. She then reached behind her desk and handed me a bag and a small. I frowned.

"Marshmallows and toothpicks? How do we build towers out of these?" I asked incredulously.

"That's for you to find out together," she said. "Set one bag and one box on each table, if you please." I shrugged, hopping off her desk to begin my assignment. By the time I was finished, mostly everyone was in the class. I returned the extra supplies to Professor Michaels then made my way to Draco, who was sitting at our table in the back of the room. He smiled at me as I sat down.

"We need to talk," we said at the same time. Oh, boy.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! No super long note here, just eagerness for you to read! I didn't edit this one either, so sorry for any inconveniences during the reading of this chapter.**

**Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Eleven

After Professor Michaels explained everything to the class, again not telling us how to actually build the tower, Draco turned to me.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, opening the bag of tiny marshmallows. He then took a toothpick and stuck one end in one marshmallow and the other end in another. I followed suit, and he took this, and connected the two sticks with two toothpicks, making a square. He set the square down on the table, shoving four more toothpicks into the corners.

"Ari?" he said, getting my attention once more. He continued to make his cube, but began spreading it out, multiplying the area by four. I sat in silence watching him make an intricate tower. I began sticking one toothpick into one marshmallow, doing what I could to help him.

"Erm…" I finally said, about ten minutes after Draco began our tower. We had made quite a bit of progress, already through one bag of marshmallows and one box of toothpicks. The tower was at least three feet tall, and nine of the small cubes made up each level of the tower.

"Yes?" he encouraged, gently fixing one of the boxes in the middle which had moved, ruining the perfection of the rest of the tower.

"Nothing," I said, smiling when I heard Padma call Seamus a dunce. I looked over to see their supposed-to-be tower was nothing but a mess of toothpicks and marshmallows on the floor. In fact, no one else's towers were near as good as ours. Well, Hermione and Susan's tower was good, but they were having trouble making it stand without holding it.

"Ari, what did you want to talk to me about?" he said, seeming slightly irritated. I looked back at him and he was staring at our tower with a serious look of concentration on his face. He held his hand out and I handed him more of the toothpick sticks, as I had been doing since we began.

"I don't think class is the appropriate place to talk about it," I said quietly. He stared at me for a few seconds then went back to our tower. It was significantly taller than anyone else's.

"How did you know what to do?" I asked, awestruck by his ability to build something so incredible out of thin sticks and fluffy sugar pillows.

"I used to do this all the time when I was younger," he answered shortly. I was taken aback.

"How? Why?"

"I've wanted to be an architect since I went to the Ministry of Magic and saw how such an incredible building was made by such raw materials. So I used to ask the house-elves to bring me things to build with. They brought me peas, marshmallows, toothpicks, straws. All sorts of things to use. I got rather good at it, if I do say so myself," he said, shooting me an arrogant grin. I smiled back. _This is the Draco everyone needs to see._ This is why I was trying to help him. Because there was Draco that didn't care about blood or money or reputations, and that was the Draco that I lik—

"Alright, class. Ten more minutes," I heard Professor Michaels say. I looked up; we definitely had the best tower.

"What did _you_ want to talk about?" I asked, forgetting about my previous rant.

"It's not important right now," he answered. "Meet me in the Room at seven tonight?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. This didn't sound good.

xXx

Draco and I had the best tower. It stood at six feet four inches, and at only six feet tall, Draco had to stand on his chair to finish it. We each got awarded twenty house points for winning.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, however, and I found myself anxiously awaiting seven. Draco didn't eat dinner with us, either, getting me questioning looks from Ginny and Hermione.

"Did you guys end it?" Ginny asked when she saw Draco sit with Blaise and Pansy.

"There was nothing to end," I said. "We aren't dating. We are still friends, if that's what you're asking. He just wanted to give the guys some time to cool down, I guess."

"So, you were expecting him to sit with us?" Hermione asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. We're meeting up later. He says he needs to talk to me about something." Ginny winked at me.

"Oh, really?" she asked suggestively. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut it, Little Red."

xXx

At ten 'til seven, I threw my homework onto my bed and jumped up, getting me a weird glance from Parvati, who was the only one in the dorm with me.

"See ya, Parvati!" I yelled, and then rushed out of our room and through the common room, out the portrait, and across the Seventh floor corridor to Barnaby's portrait.

I paced back and forth three times, thinking that I need to find Draco, hoping I wouldn't find the same thing I did the last time I did this.

The door appeared and I slipped inside. The room was exactly the same as before, but much lighter since Draco had added a window and a lot more candles. He sat on the couch, in just a white button up and black slacks, levitating a candle in odd patterns in the air.

"Hey," I said, suddenly feeling shy. He looked up with a small smile on his face.

"Hi. How are you?" I shrugged, settling on the couch next to him. I felt underdressed in my muggle jeans and purple blouse. I sat facing him, waiting for him to begin.

"I've been thinking," he said. "I really like you." My heart jumped into my throat. I liked where this is going. "But I don't think that this should go anywhere." Oh. Wow. Heart meet floor.

"Why?" I asked stupidly. His eyes met mine and I had to force myself not to cry at the empty look in his eyes.

"You deserve better than me," he answered. I shook my head. I never really thought about me and Draco being together, especially since we'd only known each other for a few weeks, but this rejection really hurt.

"I don't understand," I said firmly. "You like me, but you don't want to be with me?"

"No, I want to be with you," he said. "I just don't want you to be with me." I stood, shocking him.

"Damn it, Draco, stop that! Stop acting like you're not worth it! You're worth it to me!" I turned my back to him so he wouldn't see my tears.

"Ari," he said softly. I could feel his presence behind me, but he didn't touch me.

"Stop, Draco. Tell me. Tell me why you think you're not worth it." This is it.

"I've done bad things, Ari—"

"So you've said!" I yelled, whirling to face him. "But I already know that, Draco! I know you've got the Dark Mark! I know you were Voldemort's right hand man! I know you've tortured people! But I also know you were supposed to kill Dumbledore and you didn't. I know you hate who you used to be. I know you hate your father and all he put you through. I know you've changed," I said, tears streaming down my face. "I know that I don't care what you did in the past. I know that I really like you. And I know I really, _really_ want to help you make people see who you are _now_. So tell me again why we can't be together."

He didn't say anything. He just reached over and wiped the tears from my face.

"Right before Potter apparently came back from the dead, and _he_ asked who would join him, I walked over to him. I walked over to him, Ari."

"You did it for your parents," I whispered.

"It doesn't matter why I did it!" he yelled, making me jump. "I did it, and that's why everyone hates me. I could have stayed. I could have fought beside Longbottom, but I took the coward's way out and I walked over to _him_ and I let him hug me. And I will never forget what he said to me when he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He said 'That's my boy.' And that was when something inside me snapped. I walked off with my parents – I didn't even stay, Ari! – I walked away and I spent the next four months wishing I had stayed and helped Longbottom, and apparently Potter. I heard that the Weasley's mum killed Bellatrix because she tried to _Avada_ Ginny, and I knew then that I was evil. I should have stayed and helped but I didn't, and so many people died that day, Arianna! So many people that I had known for years and years, and I walked away from all of them!

"Everything people are saying about me is true, Ari. I'm trying to show them that I'm different, but it doesn't change what I did in the past. Seven years of being terrible to people doesn't disappear just because we want it to." He turned away from me and walked over to stare down into the fire.

I didn't know what to do. I was so confused. I already knew all this. I knew he was terrible to people in the past. Hell, he'd even said some things about me in our past school years. But that didn't mean anything anymore.

"Draco," I said softly. He didn't move. I took a small step towards him, but he didn't do anything, so I walked over to him. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his back. "I don't care, Draco. I'm always going to be here for you." He stiffened, then slowly turned in my arms and wrapped me in a hug.

"You're amazing," he whispered in my ear. I didn't reply. We just stood together, relishing the feeling of being in each other's arms.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello lovelies! So, I know most of the story has been nothing but fluff, but I'm not kidding when I say there is literally nothing but cute for the rest of the story. starting with the last chapter, I just kind of wanted to get finished with the story, so I gave up on plot. And I know that makes me sound like an awful person, but if you want angst and plot and stuff like that, go read something else of mine, because you won't get it here.**

**Wow, that sounded really mean but I have no other way to phrase it. This is just a fluff story. Sorry.**

**All of that aside, however, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

Chapter Twelve

We never actually said that we were together, but we did act a bit like it.

He ate every meal with me, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Seamus, and Dean. Yeah, you read that right. Ron and Seamus - although they hated it - ate with us, and, though they spent the meals quietly glaring at him, I saw their lips twitch a few times at his jokes.

One Saturday night, after dinner, we made our way up to the Room of Requirement. He said he wanted to talk about some stuff, and I was anxious to be alone without the glares of Seamus and Ron. We got a lot of strange looks, but we had been "together" for a few weeks now, and people were growing used to it. Well, some people. A couple of people… Mostly Ginny, Hermione, Dean, Luna, Neville, and Hannah. Parvati was openly talking about me behind my back to everyone, and since she was my roommate, people were listening.

Draco wasn't happy that I was letting people talk about me, but I didn't care. People were slowly, but surely, coming around. Neville was the hardest to convince, but Draco had a really serious talk with him a couple nights before at dinner, telling him that he was sorry about leaving him to deal with Voldemort by himself, and explaining how he's spent every day for months wishing he would have stayed. Neville, being the genuinely amazing bloke that he is, accepted the apology.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked Draco when we entered the room. He pulled me close and kissed my neck. "Draco?" He sighed and pulled away.

"I just want to talk. Nothing specific. We just never see each other unless we're eating or in Unity. I just want to spend some time with you." I smiled up at him.

"Well, here we are. Let's talk," I said, wishing for a couch to appear behind me and then falling backwards without looking, knowing it would be there. Draco just smiled at me and joined me on the couch, lying down with his head in my lap.

"Tell me about your mum," he said. I grinned.

"She's my rock," I said. "Ever since my dad left, she's loved me enough for two parents. Dad, I remember before he left he said I was the reason he was leaving, said he didn't want any child of his running around doing any sort of magic. Now, Mum's a Metamorphmagus, but you can always tell when she's telling the truth because her eyes turn dark blue, almost purple, and her eyes always get like that when she tells me that he's just a no-good tosspot. I remember one time, I was seven and a few kids at the park asked why my dad was never there, and I told them he left and they made fun of me, saying my dad didn't love me. Mum came over and shooed them away, then got down on her knee and looked me right in the eye and said, 'Aritay, he's a wanker. Don't let anyone make you feel unwanted.'" I smile at the memory.

"Wait, did he know your mum's a witch?" Draco asked. I nodded. "Then why'd he get all upset when he found out you were a witch?"

Shrugging, I said, "I don't know. Like I said, he only ever talks to me on my birthday if he remembers which hasn't been a lot lately. Mum says he was just intimidated by us because we have the ability to knock him on his arse." Draco snorted at that.

"Or put taste buds there?" I laughed with him.

"Yeah, that, too." I smile down at him, staring into his grey eyes. Now, I always knew Draco was handsome, but that didn't stop me from appreciating his strong jaw, long eyelashes and straight, aristocratic nose. And those lips…

"Why does she call you 'Aritay'?" he asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Arianna Taylor. Ari. Tay. It just kind of happened," I said, shrugging. I ran my hands through his platinum blond hair, waiting for the next question. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"It's good that your mum was there for you," he said. "I guess my mum was, too. But I wasn't really there for her. It was my mum that convinced me to stay with Voldemort, you know." I gasped. I'd had no idea. "Yeah. I mean, Father was pretty adamant about it, too, but Mum had my best interests at heart. She knew that if I refused to serve him, I'd die. And she would, too, because Father loved that old bastard more than he loved us. Mum made me see that. Of course, she never dreamed Voldemort would want me as his right-hand man. That was when she kind of closed herself off. She told me one night she didn't think we'd survive this. If Aurors didn't kill us, Voldemort would.

"Then he died." Draco laughed humorlessly. "Mum wanted to send Potter Willy Wonka's blasted chocolate factory, but by the time we'd heard about what happened Father was in Azkaban and our accounts were frozen. Once they'd let us have our money back, or what was left of it after Mum donated it to rebuilding Hogwarts, she was too busy redecorating the entire bloody house. In the papers, they make it seem like she's an empty shell, but when she's with me and Tippy, our house elf, she's…" he opened his eyes, "Well, she's the most incredible witch I know, no offence. I swear, she's happier than I've ever seen her. I'd forgotten what her smile looked like until Father was sent off.

"She makes lemon meringue a lot, too," he said. I gave him a weird look. "What? It's my favorite!" I laughed.

"Your mum bakes?" I asked skeptically.

"Sure," he replied, shrugging. "Doesn't yours?"

"Well, yes," I laughed, "but nothing as intricate as lemon meringue!"

"She uses it to get me to do things for her. 'Draco, darling,'" he said in a mock female voice, "'I need you to fetch some things for me! I made lemon meringue!'" He smiled. "I'll do anything for lemon meringue."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm the same way with peanut butter and licorice wands," I said. His face scrunched up.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, disgusted.

"Yeah. It's just something weird that I tried one time when I was younger. I wanted peanut butter and a licorice wand, but Mum said I could only have one. It was close to dinner time, you see. So I decided I could make them into one thing and I spread some peanut butter on a licorice wand. Now it's the only way I can eat them," I explained. He stared at me. "Don't judge me!"

"Hey," he said, holding his hands up in surrender, "I don't judge… But I also don't agree with defiling perfectly good licorice wands with peanut butter," he shuddered.

"You don't like peanut butter?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Despise it." I gasped, feigning shock.

"I'm sorry, Draco. We're over. I can't be with someone who doesn't like peanut butter," I said dramatically. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I wasn't aware that we were ever together, Arianna." I felt myself blush.

"It's just a joke, Draco," I said, trying to cover up my mistake.

"I don't believe that for a second."

"Well you should. I could never date anyone who doesn't like peanut butter," I said nonchalantly.

"Oh, how unfortunate for me, then," he said. My heart leapt into my throat.

"Why's that?" I said, my voice coming out a little shaky.

"Because I would like nothing more than for us to be together, but seeing as how I despise peanut butter, that just won't work out." My face broke into a smile.

"Well, perhaps I can make an exception for you, Draco," I said coolly. He looked up at me, his eyes full of laughter.

"Is that so?" he asked. I nodded. "Good." He sat up quickly and pulled me in for a breathtaking kiss.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! Well, this is it for this story. I do have an epilogue that I'll be posting sometime - when I can - but this is pretty much it.**

**Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Thirteen

The next Monday, I was still smiling non-stop. Draco and I had, after copious amounts of snogging, agreed that we were together, but we didn't want to make it known to the whole school yet. He would still sit with us at lunch, relax with us by the Great Lake, and endure the glares of other students as we walked through the halls. The only difference was that our secret smiles and stolen glances became meaningful and more obvious to those around us. In fact, before Unity that morning, Hermione pulled me aside as everyone else filed in.

"Are things getting more serious between you and Draco?" she asked. I couldn't hold back the smile. "Oh, my Merlin! That's incredible!" I just nodded and smiled.

"You can't say anything to anyone, 'Mione! We've agreed not to make it public. Right now we're trying to focus on making sure people know he's changed." Hermione could only smile and nod. She gave me a quick hug and ushered me into the classroom.

I was surprised to see the classroom clear of everything… except two white lines down either side… Oh, Merlin. We're going to play that blasted cross the line game again. I sighed as I made my way to the side of the line where all of the girls in the class were standing. The only thing I could think about was how wrong everything went the last time. Nevertheless, I remained patient and hopeful. Maybe Draco could prove people wrong this time.

xXx

"Good morning, class," Professor Michaels said. This morning she was not cheery like she usually was. Her face was set in determination and she was standing at the front of the room, right between the two lines. With a quick look around the room, I could see everyone else was just as apprehensive as I was. "You all can plainly see that we will be participating in Cross the Line again. Let me begin by saying I will not tolerate the kind of behavior some of you," she looked at Seamus, "exhibited the last time. Now, who would like to begin with the questions?"

Pansy's hand went up. Professor Michaels nodded for her to continue. "Who fancies someone else in this room?" Quite a few people stepped over, including me, Seamus, Draco, Pansy, Neville, Hannah, Ron, and Hermione. After a few seconds, we all stepped back.

"Who has ever fancied a professor?" one of the Patil twins asked. All of the girls stepped over, probably because of Professor Lockhart, which I didn't understand. Me, I fancied Professor Lupin. There was something about how sweet he was that made me feel something for him. I'd been devastated when he'd been killed last summer… Oh, we were stepping back.

"Who was surprised when they were sorted into the house they're in?" That came from Neville, who stepped over as he was asking the question. Padma Patil and I both stepped over, along with Terry Boot. We stepped back.

The questions got increasingly personal until there were a few that made me uncomfortable. One of the questions, "Who has seen someone die?" made my heart ache. Everyone that fought in the war, including me, stepped forward, and a few of the girls had started openly sobbing. I felt tears threaten to fall, but I pushed them back. I would not cry. I would keep calm.

"Who feels that they've changed from first year?" Wow, Hannah. That's a silly question. Everyone's changed since first year, and we all stepped over, then stepped back.

I wanted to ask "Who was raised by one parent?" to see who I had something in common with, but I didn't think that would be fair to Harry or Neville, who didn't even have their parents.

To my surprise, however, Harry asked a similar question. "Who here has lost a parent?" Draco, Harry, Neville, and a few others stepped over, and a lot of people were teary-eyed at this point.

"Sorry, class, I need to cut in here," Professor Michaels said. There was a lot of sniffing and eye-wiping when we all came back to reality. "Who feels like they know more about the rest of the class now?" We all stepped over. "Who feels like they've wrongly judged others in the class?" No one stepped back. "Who feels like they may need a few minutes to apologize or speak to other students in the class?" We stayed over the line. "Then by all means, do so."

And we did. People were crying and hugging and spluttering apologies left and right. I found Draco in the middle of a circle of people. They were all hugging him – which was surprising; Draco wasn't touchy feely – and saying apologies, and he was returning every one of them. I made my way through the circle of people and threw my arms around his neck.

"We did it," I whispered in his ear. He chuckled and kissed my forehead as I slid back down to the floor.

"Er, Malfoy?" The Irish lilt was unmistakable. I turned to see Seamus and Draco staring at each other. Seamus' eyes were red. "I, ah… I'd like to talk to ya, if that's alright?" Draco nodded and the two boys walked away from everyone else. I almost followed, but then I saw Professor Michaels and made my way over to her.

"Hello, Miss Taylor," she said airily, smiling at all of the friendships being made. I looked out at everyone and couldn't help but smile, too.

"Hello, Professor. I just wanted to thank you. You've helped everyone see past the prejudices. And it's helped Draco a lot," I admitted. "You've opened our eyes, Professor."

"And you have all opened mine," she claimed. I gave her a questioning look but she didn't give an indication that she would explain.

I shook my head. The rest of this year was going to be weird.


	15. Epilogue

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! Well, this wraps up another story, and if I'm being completely honest, I'm glad to see this one finished. Now that I'm not worrying about updating by an appropriate date I can finally go about some new stories. (If you have any prompts, btw, don't hesitate to give them to me. They don't have to be from the HP Fandom, either. I'll do them from any fandom I know!)**

**Much thanks to FredNeverDied for not giving up on me, or Arianna and Draco.**

**Enjoy! :)**

Epilogue

I reached over and kissed my boyfriend again, earning groans from the rest of our compartment. Ginny laughed at our antics while Ron and Dean made disgusted noises.

"Oh, shut it, you tosspots," Draco said, laughing. The rest of our friends laughed along with him, Dean shooting him a mocking glare. It was odd to think that three months ago they'd have been in a full-on duel if Draco had said that.

"So, Malfoy," Harry drawled. "Are you nervous about spending Christmas with Ari and her mum?" Draco glanced down at me.

"Of course not," he lied convincingly. "I couldn't be happier. I have a beautiful girlfriend and I'm surrounded by wonderful people. Well, wonderful people and Dean and Ron." This earned another round of laughter mixed with objections.

I snuggled up to him in hopes of maybe getting some sleep on the long train ride home.

"Are you sure about this? You don't have to spend the whole holiday with us," I said to Draco. We had just stopped to see his mother, who surprisingly welcomed me with open arms, and now we were standing on my front porch after just having Apparated to my house.

"I'm not backing out now, Arianna. I'll do it for you." And then he kissed me, long and sweet, and we didn't even realize we were being watched until my mother cleared her throat. I pulled away from Draco and felt him jump when he saw my mother's face. She had morphed it to look like an old hag, which made me laugh but scared Draco even more.

"That's not funny, Mum," I said as I hugged her. When I pulled away I saw that she was back to her normal state. She let go of me to pull Draco into a hug. I smiled at them but the realized I was shivering.

"Can we go inside now? It's rather cold out here in the snow," I said, somewhat sarcastically. Mum ushered us inside, taking our coats and shooing us away to sit by the fire while she fixed us some warm tea. We sat next to each other on the couch, holding hands and cuddling until Mum came in with the tea tray.

We spent some time talking about trivial things, sharing embarrassing stories of childhood and sipping our tea until Mum decided that she needed to go to the supermarket to fetch some things. I had no problem with that, seeing as it gave me time alone with Draco, but Mum warned us both about keeping our hands where they belonged and we both promised that we would.

But that didn't stop us from snogging.

A while later, after we had turned on the telly, I realized that I wanted a snack. I pulled Draco up with me and we made our way into the kitchen. I knew what I wanted – licorice wands and peanut butter!

I made my snack, laughing at how it made Draco cringe, then noticed something on top of the fridge… A box of toothpicks.

It's weird to think of the memories toothpicks bring up. That was the day I realized how much I really liked Draco. That was the day Draco realized how much he really liked me. And that was the day the two of us learned so much more about each other than we ever thought we would.

"Marshmallows and toothpicks," I murmured to myself, earning an odd glance from Draco, who was enjoying a steaming mug of hot cocoa.

"I love you, Draco," I said, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head against his chest. He chuckled and kissed my forehead, his arms snaking around my waist.

"I love you, too, Ari." I smiled into his shirt, my heart fluttering.

Thank Merlin for marshmallows and toothpicks.


End file.
